Improvement in hemp and flax brakes



.L-BRYANT.

H mp Brake.

Patented Aug. 9

In'v e nta r: fwd 7 Witnesses N, PETERS. Phola'lilhognphar. Washington D4 C,

NITED, STATES FFICE.

PATENT JOHN BRYANT, OF AKRON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ALLEN L. BAILEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEMP AND .l-LAX BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No 438B 2. dated August 9, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BRYANT, of Akron,

in the county of Fulton and State of Indiana,

- in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifi'cation, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my invention; Fig. 2, an end view of the same.-

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in the ordinary flax and hemp brake; and it consists in a novel manner of operating the same from a rotary drivingsh aft, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the machine may be operated by any convenient motor, and thebrake prevented from being injured or strained in the event of the movable jaw being impeded by tough flax or hemp or other substance betweenit'and the stationary jaw.

A represents a framing, which may be construeted in any proper manner to support the working parts; and B is the stationary, and O the movable, jaw of a flax or hemp brake. These jaws may be constructed in the ordinary way, each being composed of .a series of parallel bars, a, those of one jaw being in line with the spaces between those of the other, as shown in Fig. 2.

The movable jaw 0 works on journals 1) at the outer end of the jaw C, and it is connected by a link, D, with the lower end of a bar or rod, E, the upper end of which is pivoted, as shown at a to the upper part of a zigzag or Z-shaped bar, E,which is attached bya pivot, c, to one end of a walking-beam, F, the latter being hung between pendents d (1 at the upper part of the framing A. The upper and lower arms, 6 e, of the bar E are wider-than the central part, f, through which the pivot 0 passes, that secures it in the slot h in the walkingbcam, and said parts consequently form a bearing for said end of the walking-beam.

G is a spring, which is attached to the upa pitman or rod, I, connected to it, the lower.

end of which is attached to a crank, J, on a driving-shaft, K. I

From the above description it will be seen that when the shaft K is rotated a vibrating motion will be communicated to the walkingbeam F through the medium of the crank J and rod I, and avibratingmotion will be communicated to the upper jaw, C, from the walking-beam through the medium of the rod E,

the flax' or hemp being broken or bruised be tween the two jaws B O.

The zigzag bar E and spring G effect an important result, for they admit of a certain play or movement of the walkingbeam in case the upper jaw, O, is resisted in its downward movement-a contingency which frequently occurs by an excess of flax or hemp or foreign substances between the jaws. If this provision for the play of the walking-beam irrespective of the movement of the jaw C were not made, the working parts of the device would be strained or broken under.steam,wa-

t-er, or horse power as a motor.

The jaws B O are not new, in themselves considered, and I therefore do not claim them,

broadly, or in the abstract; but

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The walking-beam F, connected to the bar or rod E, which is attached to the vibrating jaw O of the brake through the medium of the zigzag bar E, and spring G, arranged and applied substantially as'and for the purpose herein set forth.

. JOHN BRYANT.

Witnesses: WILLIAM H. SoHwARzLANnEn, JOHN RANDEBUsH. 

